Treat People Well

This is the second part of a three-part series examining The Lee Group’s three “uniques.” Our uniques aren’t just rhetoric. We live them daily through every interaction with clients, candidates and employees. They are truly part of the core of how The Lee Group does business.

Treat people well.

It sounds simple, doesn’t it? Most every business will tout treating its customers well. At The Lee Group, we believe in also extending that courtesy to all of our employees, including our candidates.

Let’s start with payroll. While we hope all of our employees enjoy their jobs for many reasons, we understand the primary reason people work is because they need to get paid. Not getting your check on time would be stressful.

We pay our employees for the time they’re owed and we pay them on time.

“A lot of staffing companies don’t pay their people on time,” said Walt Graham, President of The Lee Group. “People are coming to us for employment and they need employment primarily for money. Pay is important. I’ve had the philosophy to go above and beyond when it comes to paying people correctly and on time.”

People aren’t reduced to numbers at The Lee Group. One of the reasons recruiters invest thoroughly in getting to know candidates before they’re placed in a job is because we recognize that. It would be easy to match a resume with a position. We don’t cut corners that way.

“People aren’t just a metric to us,” Graham said. “When people become metrics, they become things.”

In aligning a candidate with an opportunity, The Lee Group follows a holistic approach. A position might be perfect on paper but does it match with a candidate’s scheduling needs and professional goals? Would they like it? Does it pay enough?

Those areas have to line up to lead to long term success.

The Lee Group also makes sure candidates are completely prepared to start their new position.

“Customers tell us that our people are better prepared for interviews, our people are better prepared for first days,” said Sarah Fulton, Vice President of Operations. “Our employees get answers immediately from us when they call in while they’re on assignment. They don’t leave a voicemail and have to wait for days for a response.

“We’re committed to taking care of our people and we’re going to do it every way we know how.”

During the early days of the pandemic, The Lee Group remained open so employees did not need to worry about furloughs and missed wages. The Lee Group also offers holiday pay and vacation, even to temporary employees.

Even after candidates are placed, The Lee Group stays in touch with them to keep tabs on how things are going.

“If they have issues, we go above and beyond to resolve them,” Graham said.

Added Fulton, “Treating people well means showing up for your people. We do it every day at The Lee Group.”